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While James Husband is pleased to see the temporary approval of strychnine, he can’t help but feel a little sour about the situation.
“We’re pleased about this being approved,” said the Reeve of the RM of Hazelwood. “However, it seems like it’s a temporary measure.
“I would like to see them remove the ban indefinitely.”
Read more:
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The federal government has announced it will allow farmers in Alberta and Saskatchewan to use rodent poison strychnine to tackle growing gopher populations. Ottawa had originally denied a joint use application from the two province’s to use the chemical in February.
Husband said the most opportune time to deploy the chemical is between March 20 and April 10, when the gophers start to scurry from their burroughs. He said it will be difficult to get strychnine to use, now, within that window.
“Part of my ongoing frustration with this whole thing is that this should have been looked after in February,” Husband said. “Then we could have taken appropriate measures for 2026.”
The federal government banned strychnine in 2024, as it said it posed risks to wildlife that consume poisoned carcasses.
Husband said the chemical was essential to getting rid of Richardson’s ground squirrels feasting in his fields.
“(In) canola fields, gophers leave it completely bare,” he said. “On crops such as barley, wheat, cereal crops, they do lots of damage, they stunt the growth.
“Obviously, the yield is poor in those areas.”
Husband said gopher populations in his area have only grown since the chemical has been banned.
In a post on social media, Premier Scott Moe celebrated the decision to allow strychnine’s use in the province.
“This is a win for Saskatchewan farmers—giving them the tools they need to keep producing and providing,” Moe said.
The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) is also pleased to see the temporarily allowed use of the chemical.
“Producers have been clear that they need effective tools to protect their crops and pastures, and this decision acknowledges that reality,” said SARM President Bill Huber in a news release on Tuesday.
The association said it will work with the federal and provincial government to distribute the chemical.
–With files from The Canadian Press.
